“I well remember the Siberian Polar Vortex winters at Grinnell College in the latter part of the 1970s. The temperature was occasionally 40 below, where the scales cross. I realized this when, years later, I was talking about this with a co-worker from Siberia.”

- George Barlow, associate professor of English, and Barbara Trish, professor of political science, in their op-ed “How Athletes Are Changing the Conversation Around Racism,” The Washington Post, Oct. 16, 2018

Unpacking books, I found my history of women in the U.S. collection. Before Grinnell College, I did not realize I’d grown up in a sexist and patriarchal society. Nor did I understand that women’s stories, struggles, and experiences could be subjects of enquiry and study.